Spare parts shortage means no margin for error for Haas drivers

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Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean have been given one priority by Haas boss Guenther Steiner: not to crash during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend!

The warning has come as a result of Formula 1's hectic 'five races in seven weeks' schedule and a shortage of spare parts for the US outfit.

"The spare situation with old parts, it’s quite bad," Steiner told the official F1 website.

"I think with the spares position we are in now, we had a few crashes lately, so that never helps you.

"And at the same time we were planning to do the upgrades, so you had both things going on and that’s why you end up with no parts. It’s one of those things."

Magnussen expecting Haas to be back on form in Canada

Haas will be looking to recoup in Montreal its early season form after a dismal showing in the streets of Monaco.

"In Monte Carlo, we had issues. We had to take some parts off the car just not to lose them," says the Italian.

"We were conscious to not put anything at risk. We know how much downforce we lost with that, so we can get back why we lost the time.

"It’s not like, ‘Wow, we performed bad and we don’t know why’. We know why, and that’s a good thing."

The team's VF-18 will run in Canada with an updated package, and one that Steiner has described as "quite significant".

"But I’m always careful with updates because I’ve never seen a car in the middle of the season do magic," he added.

"Our car is not bad. We just need to keep up with doing updates…because we need to develop. Like everything, all the performances need to get better. We need to get quicker.

"It’s a long process from aero development, to aero sign-off… to structural analysis to production, so… in that span of six to eight weeks, we need to find two weeks to get quicker so we can up the game.

"And that just comes with experience. We need to go through the learning phase there."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.